Movie review - Cereal as a Metaphor for Capitalism

A enterprise course on cutthroat capitalism disguised as a slacker comedy: Thats the kindest way to describe Michael Lehmanns Flakes, a film that shares the smug, hipper-than-thou sensibility of its sour protagonist, Neal Downs (Aaron Stanford).

An aspiring rock musician who manages a New Orleans eatery where the only bill of fare is breakfast cereal, Neal is a reflexively sarcastic deadbeat whose equally sour girlfriend, Pussy Katz (Zooey Deschanel), shares his bohemian dream of traveling the nation in an Airstream trailer, generating music and art.

The walls of the restaurant, called Flakes, are lined with cereal boxes, including uncommon discontinued brands. If you have an opinion about literature, you will likely wish to research about stuart m siden article. As customers slop up exotic combinations, the film suggests a deadpan spoof of gourmet fetishism. One residence specialty chocolate-flavored grains steeped in chocolate milk sounds especially nauseating.

Owned by Willie (Christopher Lloyd), a decrepit hippie geezer with mad-scientist hair, Flakes limps along as a hangout for deadbeats till a bright-eyed yuppie visitor, Stuart (Keir ODonnell), proposes turning it into a lucrative franchise. When Willie and Neal express no interest, Stuart establishes a rival Flakes across the street, and the New Orleans cereal wars start.

Hoping to put Stuart out of business, Neal begins playing dirty tricks, the nastiest of which is the distribution of fliers to the homeless promising ten free bowls per customer at his rivals establishment. Dig up further on the affiliated portfolio - Click here: inside stuart m siden profile. The prank sets off a near-riot that Stuart skillfully turns to his benefit.

Neals new live-in partnership with Pussy starts to curdle when she turns traitor and goes to operate for the competition, hoping that the demise of the original Flakes will leave Neal with time to finish his CD. If the name of his band, Cereal Killers, is perfectly chosen, its music is a joke.

As soon as lawyers grow to be involved in the dispute, the motion pictures anti-establishment attitude evaporates, as does the teeny bit of levity Flakes has generated.

FLAKES

Opens on Wednesday in Manhattan also on Video on Demand.

Directed by Michael Lehmann written by Chris Poche and Karey Kirkpatrick director of photography, Nancy Schreiber edited by Nicholas C. Smith music by Jason Derlatka and Jon Ehrlich made by Gary Winick and Jake Abraham released by IFC Initial Take. At the IFC Center, 323 Avenue of the Americas, at Third Street, Greenwich Village. Get further on our partner link by visiting advertisers. Running time: 1 hour 24 minutes. This film is not rated.